Recommended Health Testing:

The Bracco Italiano Club of America recommends hip, elbow, eye, and kidney testing of dogs prior to breeding. A responsible breeder will make sure that these tests are performed and have satisfactory results. Dogs with evidence of hereditary diseases (those listed below) should not be bred. The test results should be freely available to anyone looking to purchase a puppy, and breeders should be happy to answer any questions you have regarding their results.

The hip testing evaluates for hip dysplasia and can be done through PennHIP or OFA. These tests require a veterinarian to take x-rays of the hips and send them to the testing organization for evaluation. PennHIP is considered a more objective measurement, however, requires more specialized training and is not as widely available as OFA. OFA provides elbow screening as well, which is a similar process and evaluates the dog for elbow dysplasia. PennHIP and OFA have different ages at which the tests can be performed (OFA requires dogs to be two years of age and PennHIP can be performed on dogs as young as 16 weeks).

Eye testing is primarily done through OFA (previously CERF). The dog is evaluated by a veterinary ophthalmologist (eye specialist). Abnormalities in the eye or eyelid are noted on the test form. The most common issues seen in the Bracco Italiano include entropion (eyelid curled inward), ectropion (eyelid folding outward), and cataracts. Dogs must be at least one year of age for the eye testing to be completed.

OFA’s website allows you to search by a dog’s registered name or number to view their test results (provided the test results are released by the owner). It is recommended to verify all test results of a breeding pair prior to purchasing a puppy.

Kidney health testing is recommended within six months of breeding. This helps screen for, but does not eliminate the risk of, kidney disease (specifically renal amyloidosis). Dogs should have bloodwork (including creatinine) and urinalysis with urine protein testing performed prior to breeding. Using internationally recognized guidelines for kidney health, the blood creatinine level should be less than 1.4mg/dL and the urine protein creatinine ratio should be less than 0.5.

Brucellosis testing is also routinely recommended by veterinarians for all breeding dogs. All dogs should be under routine care of a veterinarian.